Mike Monroe: Parker deserves to be in MVP conversation

On Thursday night at Denver, Spurs point guard Tony Parker took only four shots in the first half but set up teammates for seven baskets. By the end of a 114-99 victory, he had scored 16 points and had 12 assists.

A few hours earlier, Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin had missed 10 of 11 shots and committed eight turnovers as his team was blown out by the Miami Heat.

A prediction: Barring a Lin injury, he will receive more votes for Most Valuable Player than Parker.

Parker understands the media dynamic in the NBA. Eighteen months ago, when the NBA-loving world had gone gaga about the Heat’s new Big Three, he pondered how the Spurs’ Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Parker — would be perceived had they won three titles together in a major media market.

“I always say if we did what we did in New York or Chicago, we’d be gods right now,” he said.

In fact, Parker belongs in this season’s Most Valuable Player conversation, a debate that begins in earnest now that we’ve reached the midpoint of the season.

“He’s the main reason we lead the division,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. He’s played great basketball to this point. As you know, there’s got to be some sort of flair to catch somebody’s attention, but if you judge by what someone has accomplished, he should definitely be in the conversation.”

The Spurs have gone 17-8 without Ginobili and have the fourth-best record in the league because Parker is scoring and distributing, and also optimizing the skills of players such as Danny Green, DeJuan Blair and Kawhi Leonard.

“You know I’ll never get it,” Parker said Thursday after he stopped laughing at the very suggestion he might be considered.

“Being in the conversation would be nice, but MVP? That’s the kind of stuff for Kobe, LeBron, Durant. That’s their stuff, not mine.”

He is right, of course. But here is how one ballot would be filled out if the league asked eligible media voters to pick MVP at the midpoint:

1. LeBron James, Heat: His team is tied for the best record in the NBA despite injuries that have cost Dwyane Wade nine games. He is averaging 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Using the formula (devised years ago by Larry Bird) on which I always rely to inform my MVP decisions — adding points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks while subtracting missed shots, missed free throws and turnovers, then dividing by number of games played — supports this assertion. James is the only player in the league with a Larry Bird quotient of more than 30, coming in at 30.9.

2. Kevin Durant, Thunder: The Thunder lead the Western Conference because Durant has become a more reliable crunch-time player. Bird quotient: 27.7.

3. Chris Paul, Clippers: When it comes to making all his teammates better, Paul this season may have had the most impact after the trade that brought him from New Orleans. He has turned around the perception of the Clippers and become a magnet for free agents who want a chance to contend for a title. Bird quotient: 23.5.

4. Tony Parker, Spurs: Duncan and Ginobili agree that the Spurs, with the second-best record in the West, are Parker’s team. Nobody, Popovich included, expected the Spurs could go 24-10 with Ginobili missing 25 games. Parker is the reason. Bird quotient: 19.1.

5. Kevin Love, Timberwolves: Minnesota hasn’t made the playoffs since Kevin Garnett was traded to Boston. The T-Wolves are on the brink of the playoff picture at the midpoint because Love has become a Bird-like player. Bird quotient: 28.2.

Last season’s MVP, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, missed too many games (10 of 35) to be considered.